Pay Attention!
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"Pay Attention!" by Sandra Herrmann
"Roots of Power" by C. David McKirachan
Pay Attention!
by Sandra Herrmann
Mark 9:30-37
“O.K., class, let’s settle down. Put your phones away, turn off your ringers first. Alexis and Makela, turn around and face this way. All eyes up here, please. Today we’re going to be talking about glaciers and the impact of their disappearance on our weather here in Wisconsin.”
“Mrs. Hinson, have you gotten our test scores back yet?”
“No, Joseph, I haven’t. I promise you all, as soon as I have them, you will have them. And the school administrator has asked me to tell you they will not be giving out those scores to anyone before they are given to the teachers.”
“Mrs. Hinson, my mother is going to be calling me this morning. My grandmother’s in the hospital. So I can’t turn off the ringer.”
“Bring you phone up here, Christian, and put it on vibrate. That way, if she calls, I’ll see that it’s your mother, and I’ll tell you.”
“But, Mrs. Hinson, you might miss the call!” Christian was clearly stressed out, so I told him he could keep it on his desktop. I scanned my classroom, making sure everyone was paying attention.
“All right, class, who can tell me where the largest glacier in the world is?”
Silence.
“Any one?”
Silence
“Tony?” I could always count on Tony to give me an answer, and if he didn’t know, his answers were often colorful and amusing, at least. But not today.
“Tony? Are you all right?” I cocked my head to one side like a dog. No answer. “TONY! Are you paying attention?”
“Um, yes. It’s the Bering glacier in northern Alaska.”
“Good guess,” I said, as he looked hopefully at me, “but wrong. What honor does the Bering glacier have?”
Margarita waved her hand, and I nodded in her direction,
“It’s the biggest in the United States.”
“A better guess. I’ll give you half points. It’s the largest glacier in . . .”
“North America!” a number of voices chanted.
I nodded. “Right.” So where is the largest glacier in the world?”
More silence.
“Did anyone in this room read the assignment for today?” More silence. “Who has not read this section of the book?” Half a dozen hands went up. “Seriously? You all want to save the planet, but you didn’t read about one of the ways the planet is changing? You need to know this stuff when you build an argument about whether climate change is even happening. So use your study time today to make sure you know what you’re talking about.”
Several of the teens on one side of the room were whispering. Ashley, Maura and Sophia were tight as thieves, and just as secretive. They always had something to distract them from listening in class.
“All right, Ashley, since you did read the section, where is the largest glacier in the world?”
“Antarctica?”
“Are you telling me or asking me?” Giggles around the room. Ashley looked at the top of her desk. Sophia poked her.
“Telling you?”
“Are you sure?”
Her head came up. “Yes.”
Oops. I’d tipped her off. I’ll have to remember not to use that trick for the foreseeable future. I sighed. “Yes, it’s in Antarctica. Anybody here able to tell me its name?”
More silence. “Since you said you read the text, Charlie, I assume you can tell me its name.”
“Um, the Lambert glacier. I remember it’s pretty big, like from Milwaukee to Green Bay. And it’s like a mile and a half deep. And it’s, like, breaking up.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the whole point of this section,” one of the boys sneered.
“All right, James. How much ice loss has there been in Antarctica over the past century?”
“The ice in Antarctica has shrunk . . .”
“Retreated, Jimmie Boy,” John said.
“Whatever! It’s retreated about half a mile, on average,” James finished with a scowl.
The class was finally talking, even though it was clear that the boys were doing so in order to look good, competing with each other over who’s the smartest, the cleverest, the best reader, etc. Why, I wondered, and not for the first time, do boys have to turn everything into a competition? Why do they constantly jostle each other to prove they’re the best? Whatever the reason, I’m convinced it’s part of the DNA of boys, as old as time itself. Look at Cain and Abel, or Jesus’ own disciples. As the big man says, “Deal with it.” So I do. But I sure do understand why Jesus occasionally got really annoyed with his disciples.
Sandra Herrmann is pastor of Memorial United Methodist Church in Greenfield, Wisconsin. In 1980, she was in the first class ordained by Bishop Marjorie Matthews (the first female United Methodist bishop). Herrmann is the author of Ambassadors of Hope (CSS); her articles and sermons have also appeared in Emphasis and The Circuit Rider, and her poetry has been published in Alive Now and So's Your Old Lady. She has trained lay speakers and led workshops and Bible studies throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. Sandra's favorite pastime is reading with her two dogs piled on her.
* * *
Roots of Power
by C. David McKirachan
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
My sister is a nurse practitioner. Being one of my older sisters, I was in awe of her. Sort of. After all she was my sister. I ate dinner with her every night. I was around when she got into arguments with my other sister, though they probably didn’t notice that I could hear. My respect for her came from my relationship with her. I wouldn’t have noticed her if she wasn’t my sister.
But I remember thinking that she was dependably gentle. When she dealt with me, I could depend on her listening as much as she talked. I could depend on her willingness to make room for a pesky kid in her plans, though looking back I know periodically there was a reluctance mixed in. She was kind to me. Both my sisters were. I wasn’t always the most angelic example of a child, but I could depend on them to allow space for me in spite of the flies in my ointment.
Fast forward to my college years. Both of my sisters were grown with families. I was a typical narcissistic sophomoric fool. But I continued to find a place of peace with them. The other sister had a friend who had been terribly burned by a gas explosion in his house. He’d come through rehab and now came home, but I heard that he was badly scarred. She invited the nurse practitioner sister to visit him. Sitting down with him, without flinching she had a conversation with him, asking and listening, being there. Later I heard someone in his family speak with awe about her power of healing. I remember thinking, my sister? How could she have power? She’s just my sister.
The power of Jesus did not come from his ability to manipulate reality in such a way that frightened and impressed people. It came from his compassion, from his gentleness. It is so amazing to meet someone in this rough and tumble world who can help us feel safe and unjudged. Who allows us to know that we are valued as we are, not as others think we should be.
It is the core of the amazing grace of our faith. It is the core of God’s love. It is the most powerful thing on the planet. I am blessed to have them as sisters.
C. David McKirachan is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shrewsbury in central New Jersey. He also teaches at Monmouth University. Two of his books, I Happened Upon a Miracle and A Year of Wonder, have been published by Westminster John Knox Press. McKirachan was raised in a pastor's home and he is the brother of a pastor, and he has discovered his name indicates that he has druid roots. Storytelling seems to be a congenital disorder. He lives with his 21-year-old son Ben and his dog Sam.
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 20, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Pay Attention!" by Sandra Herrmann
"Roots of Power" by C. David McKirachan
Pay Attention!
by Sandra Herrmann
Mark 9:30-37
“O.K., class, let’s settle down. Put your phones away, turn off your ringers first. Alexis and Makela, turn around and face this way. All eyes up here, please. Today we’re going to be talking about glaciers and the impact of their disappearance on our weather here in Wisconsin.”
“Mrs. Hinson, have you gotten our test scores back yet?”
“No, Joseph, I haven’t. I promise you all, as soon as I have them, you will have them. And the school administrator has asked me to tell you they will not be giving out those scores to anyone before they are given to the teachers.”
“Mrs. Hinson, my mother is going to be calling me this morning. My grandmother’s in the hospital. So I can’t turn off the ringer.”
“Bring you phone up here, Christian, and put it on vibrate. That way, if she calls, I’ll see that it’s your mother, and I’ll tell you.”
“But, Mrs. Hinson, you might miss the call!” Christian was clearly stressed out, so I told him he could keep it on his desktop. I scanned my classroom, making sure everyone was paying attention.
“All right, class, who can tell me where the largest glacier in the world is?”
Silence.
“Any one?”
Silence
“Tony?” I could always count on Tony to give me an answer, and if he didn’t know, his answers were often colorful and amusing, at least. But not today.
“Tony? Are you all right?” I cocked my head to one side like a dog. No answer. “TONY! Are you paying attention?”
“Um, yes. It’s the Bering glacier in northern Alaska.”
“Good guess,” I said, as he looked hopefully at me, “but wrong. What honor does the Bering glacier have?”
Margarita waved her hand, and I nodded in her direction,
“It’s the biggest in the United States.”
“A better guess. I’ll give you half points. It’s the largest glacier in . . .”
“North America!” a number of voices chanted.
I nodded. “Right.” So where is the largest glacier in the world?”
More silence.
“Did anyone in this room read the assignment for today?” More silence. “Who has not read this section of the book?” Half a dozen hands went up. “Seriously? You all want to save the planet, but you didn’t read about one of the ways the planet is changing? You need to know this stuff when you build an argument about whether climate change is even happening. So use your study time today to make sure you know what you’re talking about.”
Several of the teens on one side of the room were whispering. Ashley, Maura and Sophia were tight as thieves, and just as secretive. They always had something to distract them from listening in class.
“All right, Ashley, since you did read the section, where is the largest glacier in the world?”
“Antarctica?”
“Are you telling me or asking me?” Giggles around the room. Ashley looked at the top of her desk. Sophia poked her.
“Telling you?”
“Are you sure?”
Her head came up. “Yes.”
Oops. I’d tipped her off. I’ll have to remember not to use that trick for the foreseeable future. I sighed. “Yes, it’s in Antarctica. Anybody here able to tell me its name?”
More silence. “Since you said you read the text, Charlie, I assume you can tell me its name.”
“Um, the Lambert glacier. I remember it’s pretty big, like from Milwaukee to Green Bay. And it’s like a mile and a half deep. And it’s, like, breaking up.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the whole point of this section,” one of the boys sneered.
“All right, James. How much ice loss has there been in Antarctica over the past century?”
“The ice in Antarctica has shrunk . . .”
“Retreated, Jimmie Boy,” John said.
“Whatever! It’s retreated about half a mile, on average,” James finished with a scowl.
The class was finally talking, even though it was clear that the boys were doing so in order to look good, competing with each other over who’s the smartest, the cleverest, the best reader, etc. Why, I wondered, and not for the first time, do boys have to turn everything into a competition? Why do they constantly jostle each other to prove they’re the best? Whatever the reason, I’m convinced it’s part of the DNA of boys, as old as time itself. Look at Cain and Abel, or Jesus’ own disciples. As the big man says, “Deal with it.” So I do. But I sure do understand why Jesus occasionally got really annoyed with his disciples.
Sandra Herrmann is pastor of Memorial United Methodist Church in Greenfield, Wisconsin. In 1980, she was in the first class ordained by Bishop Marjorie Matthews (the first female United Methodist bishop). Herrmann is the author of Ambassadors of Hope (CSS); her articles and sermons have also appeared in Emphasis and The Circuit Rider, and her poetry has been published in Alive Now and So's Your Old Lady. She has trained lay speakers and led workshops and Bible studies throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. Sandra's favorite pastime is reading with her two dogs piled on her.
* * *
Roots of Power
by C. David McKirachan
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
My sister is a nurse practitioner. Being one of my older sisters, I was in awe of her. Sort of. After all she was my sister. I ate dinner with her every night. I was around when she got into arguments with my other sister, though they probably didn’t notice that I could hear. My respect for her came from my relationship with her. I wouldn’t have noticed her if she wasn’t my sister.
But I remember thinking that she was dependably gentle. When she dealt with me, I could depend on her listening as much as she talked. I could depend on her willingness to make room for a pesky kid in her plans, though looking back I know periodically there was a reluctance mixed in. She was kind to me. Both my sisters were. I wasn’t always the most angelic example of a child, but I could depend on them to allow space for me in spite of the flies in my ointment.
Fast forward to my college years. Both of my sisters were grown with families. I was a typical narcissistic sophomoric fool. But I continued to find a place of peace with them. The other sister had a friend who had been terribly burned by a gas explosion in his house. He’d come through rehab and now came home, but I heard that he was badly scarred. She invited the nurse practitioner sister to visit him. Sitting down with him, without flinching she had a conversation with him, asking and listening, being there. Later I heard someone in his family speak with awe about her power of healing. I remember thinking, my sister? How could she have power? She’s just my sister.
The power of Jesus did not come from his ability to manipulate reality in such a way that frightened and impressed people. It came from his compassion, from his gentleness. It is so amazing to meet someone in this rough and tumble world who can help us feel safe and unjudged. Who allows us to know that we are valued as we are, not as others think we should be.
It is the core of the amazing grace of our faith. It is the core of God’s love. It is the most powerful thing on the planet. I am blessed to have them as sisters.
C. David McKirachan is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shrewsbury in central New Jersey. He also teaches at Monmouth University. Two of his books, I Happened Upon a Miracle and A Year of Wonder, have been published by Westminster John Knox Press. McKirachan was raised in a pastor's home and he is the brother of a pastor, and he has discovered his name indicates that he has druid roots. Storytelling seems to be a congenital disorder. He lives with his 21-year-old son Ben and his dog Sam.
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 20, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
